A92138:1565
The divine right of church-government and excommunication
The divine right of church-government and excommunication: or a peaceable dispute for the perfection of the holy scripture in point of ceremonies and church government; in which the removal of the Service-book is justified, the six books of Tho: Erastus against excommunication are briefly examined; with a vindication of that eminent divine Theod: Beza against the aspersions of Erastus, the arguments of Mr. William Pryn, Rich: Hooker, Dr. Morton, Dr. Jackson, Dr. John Forbes, and the doctors of Aberdeen; touching will-worship, ceremonies, imagery, idolatry, things indifferent, an ambulatory government; the due and just powers of the magistrate in matters of religion, and the arguments of Mr. Pryn, in so far as they side with Erastus, are modestly discussed. To which is added, a brief tractate of scandal ... / By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Published by authority.The divine right of church-government and excommunication: or a peacable dispute for the perfection of the holy scripture in point of ceremonies and church government; in which the removal of the Service-book is justifi'd, the six books of Tho: Erastus against excommunication are briefly examin'd; with a vindication of that eminent divine Theod: Beza against the aspersions of Erastus, the arguments of Mr. William Pryn, Rich: Hooker, Dr. Morton, Dr. Jackson, Dr. John Forbes, and the doctors of Aberdeen; touching will-worship, ceremonies, imagery, idolatry, things indifferent, an ambulatory government; the due and just powers of the magistrate in matters of religion, and the arguments of Mr. Pryn, in so far as they side with Erastus, are modestly discussed. To which is added, a brief tractate of scandal ... / By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Published by authority.
London: printed by John Field for Christopher Meredith, 1646
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Ans. I utterly deny this consequence: For 1. the Magistrate1 may serve Christ as Christ, and promote and advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as Mediator, when he contributes his power to those things that materially conduce to a supernatural end, though he do not contribute any thing that formally conduceth to such an end. 2. So you may say a Christian Husband as a Husband; a godly Physician, as a Physician, a Printer who printeth the Bible, do nothing serviceable to Christ as Christ, and in promoting Christs Mediatory Kingdom, when the one begetteth children, that being borne in the visible Church are made heirs of the Kingdom of Christ; and the other when by his Art and skill he preserveth the life of a godly and zealous Preacher: The third, when by his Art he publisheth in print the Testament of Christ; the Physician doth somewhat as a Physician that is serviceable to Christ as Mediator, yet (I hope) it is no Ecclesiastical business to restore to health a godly Minister; nor to beget a child who is made an heir of Grace, nor to print the Bible; so a Philosopher as a Philosopher doth convince one that worshippeth bread, that the man leaveth his error, and this is materially service to Christ, and a promoting of Christs Mediatory Kingdom; but neither Husband, Physician, Printer or Philosopher, are in these acts, the Vicars and Deputies of Jesus Christ, as the Magistrate is holden to be by the Adversary: Nor 2. do they as Ecclesiastical persons formally advance the kingdom of Christ as do the preachers ⟨p. 601⟩of the Gospel, far less more principally do they advance Christs Kingdom, as the Magistrate is supposed to do. Nor 3. hath their thus promoting of Christs Kingdom any influence upon the conscience as the Magistrate must have, if he forbid sin as sin; now the Magistrate as such, doth nothing to promote formally the mediatory Kingdom of Christ, for he may do, and doth all he doth as a Magistrate; yea suppose he were a Turk set over▪ Christians as their Magistrate granting that Christ was a true Prophet, yet may he as a Magistrate, punish those who shall teach that Christ was a false Prophet and an impostor, and though his Magistratical acts be serviceable to Christ materially, yet not formally. 1.
Ans. I utterly deny this consequence: For 1. the Magistrate1